Hate the Rain
by TXJ
Summary: Set in the future, Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura are headed back from a mission when a storm hinders their travel. Sakura over hears Kakashi grumble about one of this 'dislikes' that he didn't feel like sharing. Fluff: KakaRin can be seen as KakaSaku


Starting notes: I have not watched the Anime, only read the manga and online scans at that. Italics are used to help transition from past to present.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Naturo, the characters or anything of such popularity. This is purely for fun, and no profit is gained from it.

* * *

"The only enjoyable part of a thunderstorm is the lightning." Kakashi mumbled as he stood watch at the cave entrance. His recon team stood in a cave perched above a tree filled canyon. He didn't expect much trouble, the rain was coming down so thick that he was forced to use senses other than his eye.

"Why do you only like the lightning?" so Sakura's ears had been good enough to hear him.

"Because he uses lightning, duh!" Naruto responded, earning him an eye roll from Sakura. Kakashi simply kept his back to the two, letting Sakura go into know-it-all mode and tell Naruto that a ninja did not control an element but simply turned their chakra into the element.

His mind drifted back to a night very similar to the present one. _His team was returning from the Hidden Mist village. They had been sent to receive information on rebel forces that desired to restart the war. They had obtained the files and were on their way back to their village. So far the mission had gone smoothly, almost too smoothly. Rin and Shikaku were asleep, they had moved as fast as possible until it became evident that the storm would be a fierce one. Kakashi had thought about summoning Pakkun to keep him company, but the little nin dog was deathly afraid of storms. Sighing he leaned against the side of the cave entrance watching the lightning streak through the sky._

His thoughts were brought back to the present when a slender shoulder bumped into his upper arm. He looked at her and she grinned back at him.

"Really Kakashi, I can take the first watch if you want. This storm seems to be putting you to sleep." Her voice was uncharacteristically soft and her eyes filled with concern. It made him blush slightly, she'd caught him spaced out, trapped in past memories.

"You sure know how to make a man feel old Sakura!" he grinned at her knowing she'd understand the expression behind the mask.

"Don't change the subject. The expression on your face a moment ago had nothing to do with age."

"Hn." He knew better than to argue. A quick glance over his shoulder told him that he no longer had Naruto for a distraction.

"You never did answer; why is lightning the only thing about a storm that you like?" Again those concerned sincere eyes. Kakashi cursed himself again for not realizing that Sakura's ears would pick up his barely spoken words.

"You're hearing has become rather fine tuned in the last few years, Sakura I'm impressed." Another trade mark smile, that should get her talking about herself and not him. Sakura loved compliments, that had never changed about her.

"Yes, I spent a few months training with Kiba to improve my senses of smell and hearing. I was tired of being hindered when I could not see my opponent. But that wont get you out of answering my question. Geeze Kakashi, if you don't want to answer something just say so. It's so insulting when you side step and try to change the subject to get out of answering something." Her voice had raised slightly, not enough to disturb Naruto, but the frustration was evident in her features. He'd watched these two grow and battle for their lives, the villages life, even his own life. Why did he still avoid letting them close? The no longer called him sensei but friend, could he not do the same in return?

"You should know by now, I don't like talking about myself. Most of what you know about my past you've heard from third parties." He chuckled at the half shamed half shocked look on the younger ninja's face.

"Yes, I knew. Many believe that if you know a person's history you will understand him or here better. So I am not mad with the people who told you or you guys. You've been respectful with the knowledge. That still doesn't answer your question does it?"

"No, but if you-" Kakashi put a hand up to hush her.

"It was a night much like this one, it was my last mission before becoming a ANBU. I was leading the team, Rin and Shikaku were with me. We'd made it to a cave, pretty much like this, just as the rain started. It didn't take long before we couldn't see a foot outside of the cave due to the heavy rain fall. I told the other two to settle in and I'd keep watch as sight was of no use in these conditions. Really my nose wasn't of any use either. Shikaku wasted no time falling asleep, evidently the rain puts him to sleep. Rin was quite different, she loved the rain, really she loved everything about water so she was too excited to sleep. So she came and sat by me. It only took till the first roll of thunder followed shortly by a large clap of lightning to see that Rin clearly was afraid of thunderstorms. Her shoulders tensed and she would jump slightly with every rumble."

"_A water nin that is afraid of a thunderstorm?" Teasing Rin could be dangerous business, but with a fellow teammate asleep, I felt safe that I wouldn't get much more than a punch on the arm._

"_I'll have you know Kakashi that it is only the lightning and thunder that bother me." Said punch landed it's mark too._

"_Hn. Thus why they are called THUNDER-storms." Another clap of lightning and Rin's jump had closed the space between us. I chuckled at her, the timing had been too perfect._

"_I guess the lightning doesn't bother you much?" she said shyly putting a small amount of space between us._

"It had been years since Obito's death and the day I told her that it was him, not me who'd chosen to rescue her. We'd both lost several more friends in the final years of the war. Through all of it she had become my closest friend. I'd known when we were younger that Rin had a crush on me, she'd even confessed it shortly after Obito's death but I couldn't handle it then and gave her every reason not to like me. Time has a funny way of changing things though. That night with her so close I realized that I wanted her to stay close.

We'd been talking for awhile, and the night air was getting cooler and cooler. I was given my opportunity when she started to shiver, I pulled out my blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders pulling her closer to me."

Kakashi paused his story he'd expected Sakura to interrupt him, but she didn't.

"As she leaned against me she said that she wished they could light a fire so that she could read her book. You see, I inharated the first **"Icha Icha"** book from Rin."

"_That stupid love novel stuff you've been reading?" I questioned. She blushed slightly_

"_It's not your average no plot love novel. Really you should read it some time." Her eyes held mischief and told me that there was something more to the story than that. I never asked what she was up to because the sky lit up with a brilliant display of lightning. I tightened my grip around Rin as she flinched._

"_So tell me what makes this book so much better?" I asked her for no more reason than to take her mind off of the storm._

"_The women in the story are actually strong, they're like real female ninja, not simply needing to be rescued all the time. And the main male character is always looking out for the others with a sort of mysterious side where he won't tell anyone about his past. You're laughing at me aren't you?" Rin stopped, I could tell even in the dark with lightning that she was blushing._

"_Why would I be laughing at you? I asked you why you liked the book didn't I?" she slapped at my hand when I ruffled her hair._

_Another roll of thunder, the storm was moving past as the time between the thunder and clap of lightning seemed to be increasing._

_I pulled Rin snug against my chest with her back to me when the thunder sounded as second time, she had no choice but to look as the lightning streaked through the sky. She shivered and I heard the words that lead me to my undoing._

"_That was absolutely beautiful!" she whispered in awe._

"_Just like you." I whispered in her ear in return._

"I don't remember consciously doing it, but I slid my mask down and kissed her at that point. To this day Rin is the only person that I have ever taken this mask off for.

It wasn't six months later that Rin's name was added to the memorial stone a ways below Obito's. It was raining that day. Being new in ANBU, I had a guard shift and it had just ended. I ditched animal mask and headed to find Rin at the clinic where she was training. It was a late spring rain, no lightning or thunder so I wanted to take her for a walk in it. The rain made her smile. When I got to the clinic I knew something was wrong. The fourth was there with a handful of Jounin and a couple ANBU. One of Rin's patience had suffered terrible treatment during the war, the man flipped out and lost control of his chakra, killing himself and Rin in the process. It rained the rest of that day, and on the day of her funeral.

It was raining when the Fourth gave his life, and it was raining that day when I found my father. It was raining when I found Naruto after he fought with Sasuke.

It is said that the rain washes away sorrow, but to me it seems more like it brings it."

"I would hate the rain too."

Sakura wrapped her arms tightly around him, burrying her face into his chest. He hadn't ment to lay all of his sorrow on her, but once he started he couldn't stop.

"But why do you like the lightning?" she asked a tear rolling down her cheek and soaking into his shirt. He chuckled, in all of that he still had not answered the question in full and she hadn't missed it either.

"Had it not been for the lightning I never would have gotten my first kiss, and without that kiss I never would have taken off the mask in front of Rin." Kakashi could only smile as Sakura looked up to see the same thing Rin had that night.

Before she could ask or say a word he answered her question.

"Only those I can truely call friend."

Sakura smiled.

"I love the rain."

* * *

Does Naruto get to see him with out the mask? I'll let you choose that for yourself.


End file.
